Category Uncategorized
GIVING THANKS AT THANKSGIVING TO VETERANS AT CALVET HOMES
On Veterans Day a couple of weeks ago, many folks thanked our military veterans for their service in defending our constitution. COVID-19 restrictions prevented the firm handshakes and warm hugs that once carried the day, and gave way to drive-by parades, salutes from afar, and virtual greetings. Still, the sentiments were genuine, heartfelt, and very […]
NAVY CELEBRATING 245th BIRTHDAY, LOOKING TO EXPAND FLEET
Happy 245th birthday to the United States Navy! The Continental Congress formally established the Navy on October 13, 1775, which became the traditional birthdate of the U.S. Navy – nine months before the founders signed the Declaration of Independence and formed the United States of America. American ships captured over 200 British ships during the […]
R.E.D. FRIDAYS CHALLENGE KEEPS THOSE DEPLOYED IN MINDS AND HEARTS
The gauntlet thrown, the challenge issued – or at least refreshed. Count the employees of the Veterans Homes of California-Barstow among those who show their support not only for the veterans they care for at the Home, but also for those currently serving and now deployed. Hence, the R.E.D. Fridays challenge, the R.E.D. standing for […]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINE RESERVE: 104, AND STILL COUNTING ON THEM
The United States Marine Corps Reserve turns 104 today, and remains as important as ever as defenders of the nation. Congress passed the Naval Appropriations Act on August 29, 1916, which created the Reserve. The Reserve trains and prepares its force to mobilize for active duty in wartime, national emergencies, and other operations. They provide […]
CALVET PRAISED FOR PROTECTING RESIDENTS, STAFF AT VETERANS HOMES DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK
Politico featured the California Department of Veterans Affairs in a story that posted Tuesday, explaining CalVet’s success thus far in protecting veterans, their spouses, and employees at its eight Veterans Homes of California during the COVID-19 outbreak. Reporter Maggie Severns describes in great detail the proactive steps CalVet and Secretary Vito Imbasciani took when the […]
SHARING THE CHALLENGES OF A MILITARY DAD
Let’s face it — fatherhood has its challenges. The days of less responsibility, leaving the house on a whim, staying out late with friends and co-workers without finding a sitter, cooking for just yourself (and significant other, if applicable), and other small freedoms you took for granted, are over for a while. But perhaps the […]
MEMORIAL DAY TOOK SOME INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY TO COMMEMORATE HOLIDAY IN VETERANS HOMES DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
If necessity is, indeed, the mother of all invention, and desperate times require desperate measures, then add this new adage to the mix: COVID-19 demands innovation and imagination to maintain our traditions. Indeed, Zoom feeds replace crowded graduation ceremonies. Well-wishers now drive by to offer socially distanced birthday greetings to the recipient out on his […]
King’s impacts on the civil rights movement still alive nearly 52 years after his death
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned 91 years old this past week. A man who preached peace and equality through non-violent protest, who received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, and who spoke out forthrightly against the Vietnam War, died in a most violent way when he was shot by an assassin at the […]
USS Arkansas made her mark in World War II before becoming target in A-bomb testing
On January 14, 1911, the USS Arkansas was the largest U.S. battleship launched from the shipyards in Camden, N.J. The 26,000-ton Wyoming class battleship, commissioned in September 1912, went on to work with the British Brand Fleet before and throughout World War I. The Arkansas then served as a training ship for Naval Academy midshipmen, […]
Christmas in the trenches, foxholes, and other far-away places; CalVet’s veterans share their stories
Just five months after he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950, Joseph Sims found himself at Camp Gordon in Georgia, where he would train to become a radio operator. First, grunt work – along with a serious dose of reality about life in the military – beckoned. “They wouldn’t let us go home […]
